It’s also tainted by father and mother’s lived experiences. Both Southern, both 70ish, and both valid. My tainted experience comes from oral stories told by my late great, great grandfather a former share cropper. My tainted views come from the oral histories experiences of my Southern grandmothers and grand dad who served in a segregated military and who nearly half of their lived experiences in a partially segregated world back by a racist state history. My taint comes from younger siblings who both served in a racist and misogynist American military. Yeah, we’re tainted. We’re all tainted. Who caused the taint?
My experiences are likely tainted. But the people responsible for tainting them don’t want to accept responsibility for tainting them. I appreciate you believing you have not invalidated my experiences, but to a certain degree but have invalidated them when you describe those experiences as “tainted.”
When you experience trauma first hand, it taints you. If you’re a vet, perhaps you’ve experienced combat or you know others who served and witnessed war. The trauma from war taints. It’s valid and it changes you. You see the world, people, and politicians differently unless you’re sold out to politics and faux patriotism.
The same applies to racism.
I don’t really know what the solutions are, I am just asking readers to view racism, anti-racism and the power dynamics they have in the relationship differently. Viewing the dynamics differently can help perhaps create new ways to end racism. What’s been done for the past 400 years isn’t working. The way we see our collective groups is part of the problem. If you don’t see yourself as part of the problem, you cannot see yourself as a part of the solution.
It’s not meant to penalize white people or any group for that matter. I just want to impart different ways of viewing our leading cause of everything wrong with America. We’re both human, yes? But you’re a man and I’m a woman. We’re going to experience the world differently. Can’t two things be true? Does everything have to be a you’re wrong, I’m right? Can we look at the problem and fix it without focusing on who is at fault?
If we can’t focus on fixing the root of problems w/o being fixated on feelings and right-wing/left-wing or politics, we just stay on this stupid ratwheel going in circles nowhere slow. I’m tired sir.
My assessment is meant to end racism. As a victim of it that’s my primary concern. Either you’re for it against. You’re doing something or doing nothing. You’re a friend, foe, public defender or bystander.
Ending racism shouldn’t be so hard or take so long. But when you can’t see the world you’re living in from all angles it’s a problem. That’s what I must contend with when I fight racism. Until White people can see through multiple lenses, my work isn’t done.
So yeah, my views are tainted thanks to my lived experiences. But my lived experiences and those of my family have been caused by American racism. Not sure what you want us to do. Continue to be stoic and wait on White folks to give us a purple heart?
That is never gonna happen. I maybe tainted, but how did I get this way?
I appreciate your comment. I’m going to meditate on your words a little and do some self reflection. Just because I don’t like the way you served the food doesn’t mean I cannot eat it or that I can’t learn from eating some of it. So thank you.
